Self-inflating life preserver entity and method of making the same



Aprll 9, 1963 J. o. GAUMER 3,034,357

SELF-INFLATING LIFEPRESERVER ENTITY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 26; 1961 IIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR. JOHN O. GAUMER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,084,357 SELF-INFLATING LIFE PRESERVER ENTETY AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME John 0. Gaumer, Rte. 1, Box 201, Oroville, Calif. Filed May 26, 1961, Ser. No. 112,989 Claims. (Cl. 9-327) This invention relates to a self-inflating life preserver entity and method of making the same.

It has for many years been known to inflate life preserving devices by intermixing carbide and water or other gas generating elements within the device, illustrative of which are Patents Nos. 659,127, 1,014,546, 1,306,011 and 2,904,217. In all of these life preserving units however, inflation is dependent upon either contact with an external water source such as by throwing a preserver into the water for emergency use, or by positive action of the user to eflect mixture of gas generating elements.

It is an object of this invention to provide a self-inflating life preserver entity including an inflatable member containing gas generating elements normally stored in a container, the member being automatically inflated upon removal thereof from the container.

Another object is to provide a life preserver entity of the character described wherein the gas generating elements are separately housed within the inflatable member, the life preserver being ejected from the container upon lifting the lid thereof, to effect mixture of the gas generating elements with resultant inflation of the preserver.

A further object is to provide a method of converting a standard automobile inner tube for use as a life preserver by making an opening in the tube, inserting interconnected gas generating cartridges into the tube, and sealing the opening.

Other objects will be manifest from the following description of the present preferred form of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the life preserver entity of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the manner of ejecting the life preserver from its container;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the life preserver forming a part of the present invention, portions thereof being broken away to disclose details of construction;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional transverse view of the gas generating cartridges of the present invention, showing the latter in interconnected, inoperative position; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the cartridges in open, operative position.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, the life preserver entity of the present invention generally comprises a closed box-like container 10 which is adapted to receive an inflatable member 11 within which is an infiating assembly 12.

Box like storage container 10 includes a bottom 13, sides 14 and ends 15. A lid 16 is hinged at 17 to one end 15. A suitable locking member 18 is fixed to the opposite extremity of lid 16 and is adapted for interlocking engagement with a complemental member 19 secured to the end of the container. Container 10 additionally includes a floating false bottom 20 and a plurality of coil springs 21 interposed between bottom 13 and false bottom 20.

Inflatable member 11 may be constructed of any desired size and shape. It has been found however that a standard automobile inner tube may be converted quite readily for this purpose to provide a low cost life preserver which has been found to very satisfactorily serve the purposes of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention therefore inflatable member 11 includes an inner tube 22, and a valve stem 23. An opening is made in tube 22, preferably at a point remote from valve stem 23, for ease of opening, closing and folding the tube, through which opening inflating assembly 12 is passed to the interior of the tube. The opening is then sealed as indicated at 23' by any suitable method such as by vulcanization. In addition to the above steps, it has been found desirable to remove all air from tube 22 in order that the life preserver may be stored in a minimum of space.

Inflating assembly 12 includes two cartridges 24 and 24' of approximately the same size each of which is adapted to hold a gas generating element indicated at 25 and 26, respectively. Cartridges 24- and 24 include top members 27 and 27, bottom members 28 and 28, side members 29 and 29 and end members 30 and 30. Annular sealing members are indicated at 25', 26'. As shown in FIG. 5, cartridges 24 and 24 are positioned in end-to-end relationship and top members 27 and 27' are hingedly connected at 31. Cartridges 24 and 24' additionally include end members 32 and 32 which are suspended from hinge 31. It is further within the contemplation of the present invention to provide spring housings 33 and 33 which are preferably located adjacent bottom members 28 and 28' and in proximity to end members 32 and 32. Coil springs 34 and 34 are positioned in housings 33 and 33 the outermost portions of said coil springs being in contiguous engagement with ends 32 :and 32'. Inflatin-g assembly 12 additionally includes a spring locking member comprising inter-engaging complementary members 35- and 35' which are fixed to adjacent terminals of bottom members 28 and 28.

When interlocked, members 35 and 35' are insufficient of themselves to prevent pivoting of the main body of each cartridge 24 and 24' under the urging of coil springs 34 and 34 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. Gas generating elements 25 and 26 may be of any desired ingredients which will produce an inflating gas upon intermixing of the two. It has been found that optimum results are obtained by use of approximately four parts of carbide to five parts of water as the gas generating elements. The quantities of each element will necessarily vary with the size of the tube or other inflatable member employed. Locking elements 35 and 35', in conjunction with the external restraining forces exerted by sides 14 of container 10, serve to positively hold the bottom members 28 and 28' of cartridges 24 and 24 in sealed engagement against end members 32 'and 32', as shown in FIG. 5. This precludes the possibility of the gas generating elements 25 and 26 leaking from the cartridges and mixing together to prematurely inflate inner tube 22.

Glue may be applied to opposed faces of end members 32 and 32 so that when cartridges 24 'are urged to the position shown in FIG. 5, the end members will be permanently fixed together to insure operation in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. Prior to installation in a tube, inflating assembly 12 may be held in inoperative closed position by any suitable clamping means.

After inflating assembly 12 has been inserted into tube 22 and the opening thereof sealed, the life preserver is placed within storage container 10 in such a manner that end members 30 and 30' of inflating assembly 12 are in proximity to sides 14 of the storage container and with end members 29 and 29' proximate one end 15 of the container. Sides 14 of container 10 thereby serve to maintain inflating assembly 12 in the closed inoperative position shown in FIG. 5. Tube 22 is preferably folded back and forth within container 10 in the manner illusis initiated in the same manner as above described.

trated in FIG. 1 and then pushed downwardly to compress coil springs 21 and lower false bottom 20 which supports the life preserver. Storage is completed by closing lid 16 and interlocking members 18 and 19.

When the life preserver is needed, locking members 18 and 19 are disengaged and lid 16 opened. Under the urging of coil springs 21 false bottom 20 is thrust upwardly in the manner shown in FIG. 3 to expel tube 22 from container 19. Upon movement of the tube up- Wardly out of engagement with the sides 14 of the container locking members 35 and 35 are disengaged under the superior force of coil springs 34 and 34' which cause the main body portions of cartridges 24 and 24- to pivot about hinge 31 at which time ends 32 and 32' thereof are retained by coil springs 34 and 34' in stationary position. This permits gas generating elements 25 and 26 to be deposited into the tube Where they are intermixed to produce a gas which inflates the tube. Complete mixture of the two elements is eflected by movement of the life preserver in handling and/ or motion thereof after alighting on the water.

With the life preserver of the present entity, therefore, the unit is ready for immediate use without dropping the uninflated tube into the Water and'without any positive act by the user to initiate inflation. The ejection mechanism of the present storage container serves the dual function of rapidly expel-ling the life presever from its storage container and actuating the inflating assembly.

After the life preserver has been inflated in the manner above described and used, valve stem 23 may be subsequently employed to inflate the tube 22 for any desired use. It is also contemplated by the present invention that, instead of forming an opening in tube 22, as described, for insertion of inflating assembly 12, valve stem 23 be removed and the inflating assembly be inserted into the tube through the opening formed thereby. This opening may then be sealed by vulcanization or the like.

It is within the contemplation of the present invention to also provide a life preserver entity in which no ejection mechanism is employed, in which event the life preserver is pulled from the container and inflation thereof It is further realized that a plurality of life preservers may be stored in a single container. Various other changes may be made within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

1. A life preserver entity comprising an inflatable member, an inflating assembly including interconnected gas generating element cartridges Within said inflatable member, external means engageable with said gas generating element cartridges for retaining the latter in contiguous, inoperative relationship, and means within said cartridges for forcing the latter apart upon removal of said external means to etfect mixture of the gas generating elements in said inflatable member, with resultant inflation of the latter.

2. A life preserver entity comprising a closed storage container, and a life preserver Within the container, said life preserver including an inflatable tubular member, an inflating assembly including cartridges containing gas generating elements within said tubular member, said cartridges being retained in contiguous, inoperative relationship by contact with opposite walls of the storage container, and means for urging said cartridges apart upon removal of the life preserver from said container.

3. The life preserver entity of claim 2, With the addition of ejection means within said storage container for expelling said life preserver from the container.

4. A life preserver entity comprising a closed, boxlike container having ends, sides, bottom and a hinged lid, a false bottom within said container, spring means interposed between said false bottom and bottom of the box, and a life preserver adapted for storage within said boxlike container between said false bottom and said lid, said life preserver including an inflatable tube and a gas gen erating unit within the tube, said gas generating unit comprising cartridges hingedly connected together, one of said cartridges containing carbide and the other water, means separating the contents of said cartridges, spring means urging said hingedly connected cartridges apart, the remote end Walls of said cartridges being in proximate relation to opposed walls of said container, to maintain said cartridges in inoperative, contiguous relation.

5. A life preserver entity comprising an inflatable member, an inflating assembly including cartridges of approximately the same size, each of said cartridges including a top member, a bottom member, side members and end members, the cartridges being positioned in end-to-end relation, the abutting end members of said cartridges being hingedly connected to the respective top members thereof, gas generating elements within said cartridges, external means engageable With said gasgenerating element cartridges for retaining the latter in contiguous inoperative relationship, a spring housing in each cartridge proximate said bottom member, and coil springs in said housing, the outermost portion of each of said springs being in contiguous engagement with the respective end members of said cartridges, for forcing the cartridges apart upon removal of said external means, to eflect mixture of the gas generating elements in said inflatable member, with resultant inflation of the latter.

Wallin Nov. 2, 1937 Kimball Nov. 29, 1955 

1. A LIFE PRESERVER ENTITY COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE MEMBER, AN INFLATING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING INTERCONNECTED GAS GENERATING ELEMENT CARTRIDGES WITHIN SAID INFLATABLE MEMBER, EXTERNAL MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID GAS GENERATING ELEMENT CARTRIDGES FOR RETAINING THE LATTER IN CONTIGUOUS, INOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP, AND MEANS WITHIN SAID CARTRIDGES FOR FORCING THE LATTER APART UPON REMOVAL OF SAID EXTERNAL MEANS TO EFFECT MIXTURE OF THE GAS GENERATING ELEMENTS IN SAID INFLATABLE MEMBER, WITH RESULTANT INFLATION OF THE LATTER. 